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Show 658 MR. T. T. SOMERVILLE ON THE LEMMING. [Dec. 1. and the next the mother was scarcely ever in the cigar-box, and we feared that she had deserted the nest, but on looking in on the third day the little ones were seen to be alive. W e had the pleasure next day of examining one of the little ones that had come out of the cigar-box; it was quite blind and unable to walk, it could only scratch and kick and roll over, and it was still quite naked but that a sort of silky shade was doubtless the commencement of a coat. Still the little animal more resembled in texture a good fat caterpillar than a fur-bearing mammal. W e noticed now distinctly how the skin was stained black precisely where the black markings would appear, and the ears, legs, and tail appeared to have made most progress since our former hasty glances. The mother let it remain for some time, when she took it in her mouth and carried it in. After that it frequently happened that one or two rolled out or were dragged out attached to the teat, and the mother always took them in again before very long. On the 21st July- the eighth day-the silky coats of the little ones began really to show nicely in their proper colours. They were still quite blind and were become exceedingly thin, long, and leggy; they began to run out and in a day or two later, and from the 24th July, the eleventh day of their age, would run about-still blind-in, over, and under the moss in the two apartments of their box, in one of which the cigar-box, occupying about a third of the compartment, formed their sleeping-chamber. Two days later (26th July) their eyes began to open a very little, and next day were fully open ; they were now about the size of a common mouse, and they began to nibble at the moss and other eatables. On the 29th July the mother died. W e hope her six little ones are now able to do without her. W e should have mentioned that we had obtained, besides those specified as having escaped or died, four two-thirds grown Lemmings, three half-grown, and one enormous old female, the very largest we have seen, and which on the night of the 22nd July brought forth nine little ones. This interesting creature is most extraordinarily docile, allows our children to handle both herself and young, and does not even seem to object to the three half-grown Lemmings entering her box and her nest. These half-grown Lemmings we took one day from their nest; there were five, but the other two escaped. In the immediate neighbourhood was another nest in which were five young ones, but when we left Grausdal Sanatorium these were still too young to take. W e left Gausdal Sanatorium on the 23rd July with our nine Lemmings and fifteen young ones; these were carefully conveyed to Christiania, and some of them were subsequently forwarded to the Societv. |
